Same wording, distinct concepts? Testing differences between expectancies and motives in a mediation model of alcohol outcomes.

Per definition, alcohol expectancies (after alcohol I expect X), and drinking motives (I drink to achieve X) are conceptually distinct constructs. Theorists have argued that motives mediate the association between expectancies and drinking outcomes. Yet, given the use of different instruments, do these constructs remain distinct when assessment items are matched? The present study tested to what extent motives mediated the link between expectancies and alcohol outcomes when identical items were used, first as expectancies and then as motives. A linear structural equation model was estimated based on a national representative sample of 5,779 alcohol-using students in Switzerland (mean age = 15.2 years). The results showed that expectancies explained up to 38% of the variance in motives. Together with motives, they explained up to 48% of the variance in alcohol outcomes (volume, 5+ drinking, and problems). In 10 of 12 outcomes, there was a significant mediated effect that was often higher than the direct expectancy effect. For coping, the expectancy effect was close to zero, indicating the strongest form of mediation. In only one case (conformity and 5+ drinking), there was a direct expectancy effect but no mediation. To conclude, the study demonstrates that motives are distinct from expectancies even when identical items are used. Motives are more proximally related to different alcohol outcomes, often mediating the effects of expectancies. Consequently, the effectiveness of interventions, particularly those aimed at coping drinkers, should be improved through a shift in focus from expectancies to drinking motives.

Associació entre la malaltia renal crònica i la malaltia cardiovascular a la població general mediterrània

La malaltia renal crònica (MRC) inicial s’ha definit com un marcador de risc cardiovascular susceptible d’intervenció terapèutica preventiva. Aquesta relació ha estat poc estudiada al nostre entorn. Objectius: Determinar si la MRC s’associa a un increment de risc de morbiditat i mortalitat al nostre entorn. Disseny: Estudi observacional prospectiu d’una cohort poblacional de Girona de 31.612 individus de 35-74 anys. Resultats: La MRC estadi 3 sense albuminúria no incrementa el risc de malaltia cardiovascular en població general de baix risc cardiovascular. L’albuminúria&20mg/L i els estadis 4-5 de MRC s’associen a un increment de risc de morbiditat cardiovascular i mortalitat global.

Laparoscope use and surgical site infections in digestive surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical site infection (SSI) rates in open or laparoscopic appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and colon surgery. To investigate the effect of laparoscopy on SSI in these interventions. BACKGROUND: Lower rates of SSI have been reported among various advantages associated with laparoscopy when compared with open surgery, particularly in cholecystectomy. However, biases such as the lack of postdischarge follow-up and confounding factors might have contributed to the observed differences between the 2 techniques. METHODS: This observational study was based on prospectively collected data from an SSI surveillance program in 8 Swiss hospitals between March 1998 and December 2004, including a standardized postdischarge follow-up. SSI rates were compared between laparoscopic and open interventions. Factors associated with SSI were identified by using logistic regression models to adjust for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: SSI rates in laparoscopic and open interventions were respectively 59/1051 (5.6%) versus 117/1417 (8.3%) in appendectomy (P = 0.01), 46/2606 (1.7%) versus 35/444 (7.9%) in cholecystectomy (P < 0.0001), and 35/311 (11.3%) versus 400/1781 (22.5%) in colon surgery (P < 0.0001). After adjustment, laparoscopic interventions were associated with a decreased risk for SSI: OR = 0.61 (95% CI 0.43-0.87) in appendectomy, 0.27 (0.16-0.43) in cholecystectomy, and 0.43 (0.29-0.63) in colon surgery. The observed effect of laparoscopic techniques was due to a reduction in the rates of incisional infections, rather than in those of organ/space infections. CONCLUSION: When feasible, a laparoscopic approach should be preferred over open surgery to lower the risks of SSI.

Copeptin, a stable peptide derived from the vasopressin precursor, correlates with the individual stress level.

BACKGROUND: During stress, vasopressin is a potent synergistic factor of CRH as a hypothalamic stimulator of the HPA axis. The measurements of CRH and vasopressin levels are cumbersome because of their instability and short half-life. Copeptin is a more stable peptide stoichiometrically released from the same precursor molecule. The aim of our study was to compare copeptin and cortisol levels in different stress situations. METHODS: Three groups of patients with increasing stress levels were investigated: a) healthy controls without apparent stress (n=20), b) hospitalized medical patients with moderate stress (n=25) and c) surgical patients 30 minutes after extubation, with maximal stress (n=29). In all patients we assessed cortisol and copeptin levels. Copeptin levels were measured with a new sandwich immunoassay. RESULTS: Cortisol levels in controls were (median, IQ range, 486 [397-588] nmol/L), not significantly different as compared to medical patients (438 [371-612] nmol/L, p=0.69). Cortisol levels in surgical patients after extubation were higher (744 [645-1062] nmol/L p<0.01 vs controls and medical patients). Copeptin levels in controls were 4.3 [3.2-5.5] pmol/L, which was lower as compared to medical patients (17.5 [6.4-24.1], p<0.001) and surgical patients after extubation (67.5 [37.8-110.0] pmol/L, p<0.001). The correlation between copeptin levels and cortisol was r=0.46, p<0.001. CONCLUSION: Copeptin is a novel marker of the individual stress level. It more subtly mirrors moderate stress as compared to cortisol values.

DynBTS Dynamic Bug Tracker System

L'objectiu final d'aquest projecte és realitzar un Sistema Traçador d' Errors, però potser mésimportant és l'objectiu d'aprendre noves tecnologies, que sovint estan a disposició de l'usuari però l'usuari les desconeix.

Càlcul del volum de terres del subsól

Estudi d'un programari SIG: gvSIG, un programari lliure desenvolupat per iniciativa de la Conselleria d'Obres Públiques de la Generalitat Valenciana.

Some features of primary and recrudescent amodiaquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infections in Nigerian children

Characteristics of primary and recrudescent Plasmodium falciparum infections were evaluated in 25 children who did not recover after amodiaquine (AQ) treatment. Recrudescence was detected by a thick blood smear and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Over half of recrudescent events occurred after 14 days of initiation of treatment and were associated with relatively low asexual parasitaemia. We examined the gametocyte sex ratio (GSR) in these children and in age and gender-matched controls that had AQ-sensitive (AQ-S) infections (n = 50). In both AQ-S and AQ-resistant (AQ-R) infections, the GSR was female-biased pre-treatment and became male-biased by the third day after treatment initiation. However, gametocyte males persisted after this period in children with AQ-R infections. AQ-recrudescent infections are relatively low (25 of 612.4%) in children from this endemic area.

Night and crepuscular mosquitoes and risk of vector-borne diseases in areas of piassaba extraction in the middle Negro River basin, state of Amazonas, Brazil

A study of crepuscular and night-biting mosquitoes was conducted at remote settlements along the Padauiri River, middle Negro River, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Collections were performed with human bait and a CDC-light trap on three consecutive days per month from June 2003-May 2004. In total, 1,203 h of collection were performed, of which 384 were outside and 819 were inside houses. At total of 11,612 specimens were captured, and Anophelinae (6.01%) were much less frequent than Culicinae (93.94%). Anopheles darlingi was the most frequent Anophelinae collected. Among the culicines, 2,666 Culex (Ae.) clastrieri Casal & Garcia, 2,394 Culex. (Mel.) vomerifer Komp, and 1,252 Culex (Mel.) eastor Dyar were the most frequent species collected. The diversity of insects found reveals the receptivity of the area towards a variety of diseases facilitated by the presence of vectors involved in the transmission of Plasmodium, arboviruses and other infectious agents.

Estudio transversal sobre la prevalencia de la Enfermedad Metabólica Ósea (EMO) y Nutrición Parenteral Domiciliaria (NPD) en España: datos del Grupo NADYA

Patients with intestinal failure who receive HPN are at high risk of developing MBD. The origin of this bone alteration is multifactorial and depends greatly on the underlying disease for which the nutritional support is required. Data on the prevalence of this disease in our environment is lacking, so NADYA-SEMPE group has sponsored this transversal study with the aim of knowing the actual MBD prevalence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective data from 51 patients from 13 hospitals were collected. The questionnaire included demographic data as well as the most clinically relevant for MBD data. Laboratory data (calciuria, PTH, 25 -OH -vitamin D) and the results from the first and last bone densitometry were also registered. RESULTS: Bone mineral density had only been assessed by densitometry in 21 patients at the moment HPN was started. Bone quality is already altered before HPN in a significant percentage of cases (52%). After a mean follow up of 6 years, this percentage increases up to 81%. Due to retrospective nature of the study and the low number of subjects included it has not been possible to determine the role that HPN plays in MBD etiology. Only 35% of patients have vitamin D levels above the recommended limits and the majority of them is not on specific supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: HPN is associated with very high risk of MBD, therefore, management protocols that can lead to early detection of the problem as well as guiding for follow up and treatment of these patients are needed.

Characterization of microevolution events in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains involved in recent transmission clusters.

Under certain circumstances, it is possible to identify clonal variants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infecting a single patient, probably as a result of subtle genetic rearrangements in part of the bacillary population. We systematically searched for these microevolution events in a different context, namely, recent transmission chains. We studied the clustered cases identified using a population-based universal molecular epidemiology strategy over a 5-year period. Clonal variants of the reference strain defining the cluster were found in 9 (12%) of the 74 clusters identified after the genotyping of 612 M. tuberculosis isolates by IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable-number tandem repeat typing. Clusters with microevolution events were epidemiologically supported and involved 4 to 9 cases diagnosed over a 1- to 5-year period. The IS6110 insertion sites from 16 representative isolates of reference and microevolved variants were mapped by ligation-mediated PCR in order to characterize the genetic background involved in microevolution. Both intragenic and intergenic IS6110 locations resulted from these microevolution events. Among those cases of IS6110 locations in intergenic regions which could have an effect on the regulation of adjacent genes, we identified the overexpression of cytochrome P450 in one microevolved variant using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Our results help to define the frequency with which microevolution can be expected in M. tuberculosis transmission chains. They provide a snapshot of the genetic background of these subtle rearrangements and identify an event in which IS6110-mediated microevolution in an isogenic background has functional consequences.

Combinatorial effects of splice variants modulate function of Aiolos

The transcription factor Aiolos (also known as IKZF3), a member of the Ikaros family of zinc-finger proteins, plays an important role in the control of B lymphocyte differentiation and proliferation. Previously, multiple isoforms of Ikaros family members arising from differential splicing have been described and we now report a number of novel isoforms of Aiolos. It has been demonstrated that full-length Ikaros family isoforms localize to heterochromatin and that they can associate with complexes containing histone deacetylase (HDAC). In this study, for the first time we directly investigate the cellular localization of various Aiolos isoforms, their ability to heterodimerize with Ikaros and associate with HDAC-containing complexes, and the effects on histone modification and binding to putative targets. Our work demonstrates that the cellular activities of Aiolos isoforms are dependent on combinations of various functional domains arising from the differential splicing of mRNA transcripts. These data support the general principle that the function of an individual protein is modulated through alternative splicing, and highlight a number of potential implications for Aiolos in normal and aberrant lymphocyte function.

The S. pombe cdc15 gene is a key element in the reorganization of F-actin at mitosis.

The S. pombe cdc15 gene is essential for cell division. cdc15ts mutants do not form a septum, but growth and nuclear division continue, leading to formation of multinucleate cells. The earliest step in septum formation and cytokinesis, rearrangement of actin to the center of the cell, is associated with appearance of hypophosphorylated cdc15p and formation of a cdc15p ring, which colocalizes with actin. Loss of cdc15p function impairs formation of the actin ring. The abundance of cdc15 mRNA varies through the cell division cycle, peaking in early mitosis before septation. Expression of cdc15 in G2-arrested cells induces actin rearrangement to the center of the cell. These data implicate cdc15p as a key element in mediating the cytoskeletal rearrangements required for cytokinesis.

Probing the interactions of NK cell receptors with ligand expressed in trans and cis.

Certain receptors on natural killer (NK) cells, which are specific for MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules, do not only interact with ligand expressed on opposing cell membranes (in trans) but also interact with those on the same cell membrane (in cis). Cis interactions have been demonstrated for only a small number of cell surface receptors. However, this has not been tested systematically, raising the possibility that additional receptors may be able to bind ligand expressed in cis. Here we describe a number of approaches to evaluate trans and cis binding of the Ly49A NK cell receptor to its H-2D(d) ligand. These procedures should facilitate the investigation of cis/trans interactions of other receptor-ligand pairs and simplify the analysis of NK cell receptor variants.

Unveiling healthy carriers and subclinical infections among household contacts of leprosy patients who play potential roles in the disease chain of transmission

Leprosy transmission still occurs despite the availability of highly effective treatment. The next step towards successfully eliminating leprosy is interrupting the chain of transmission of the aetiological agent, Mycobacterium leprae. In this investigation, we provide evidence that household contacts (HHCs) of leprosy patients might not only have subclinical infections, but may also be actively involved in bacilli transmission. We studied 444 patients and 1,352 contacts using anti-phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) serology and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to test for M. leprae DNA in nasal swabs. We classified the patients according to the clinical form of their disease and the contacts according to the characteristics of their index case. Overall, 63.3% and 34.2% of patients tested positive by ELISA and PCR, respectively. For HHCs, 13.3% had a positive ELISA test result and 4.7% had a positive PCR test result. The presence of circulating anti-PGL-I among healthy contacts (with or without a positive PCR test result from nasal swabs) was considered to indicate a subclinical infection. DNA detected in nasal swabs also indicates the presence of bacilli at the site of transmission and bacterial entrance. We suggest that the concomitant use of both assays may allow us to detect subclinical infection in HHCs and to identify possible bacilli carriers who may transmit and disseminate disease in endemic regions. Chemoprophylaxis of these contacts is suggested.